Wavell Starr may have spent much of his career playing the villain, but he’s a hero to many in Saskatchewan.

Starr, who is originally from Prince Albert, has been a fixture in western Canada’s professional wrestling scene for nearly 20 years. During the early 2000s, he was briefly able to crack into the big leagues by appearing in several televised episodes for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Now 43, Starr still keeps up a rigorous fitness routine and travels around the province performing part-time for promotions such as High Impact Wrestling.

While most wrestlers change their name and create an alter ego for their personae in the ring, Starr uses his real name. He also doesn’t shy away from showcasing his indigenous heritage, having wrestled with long braided hair earlier in his career.

Starr’s love of wrestling started with a childhood admiration for Stampede Wrestling and its performers such as The Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith and Bret ‘The Hitman” Hart. As he grew older, Starr’s interest turned more towards football, spending five years playing as a linebacker for the U of R Rams.

In his early 20s, Starr decided to join his father and cousin one night during a show at a Regina venue famous for pro wrestling, the Exhibition Auditorium at the Agribition grounds, which has since been demolished.

“Just being back in that arena with that atmosphere took me back to when I was a child, and really re-lit that fire of wanting to be involved in the business,” said Starr.

Starr began working as a support crew member, helping set up chairs and working security. Once the ring was set up, Starr would hop in and get some informal training from other wrestlers. One of them was John Cozman, or Principal Richard Pound, who immediately took notice of Starr’s determination to make it into the business.

“He had a knack for it,” said Cozman.

“You could see that he wanted to do it, and you could see that he was picking up on things.”

Pro wrestler Wavell Starr working out at the Fieldhouse gym in Regina.Don Healy /
Regina Leader-Post

Before he had a chance to be formally trained, Starr was thrown into the ring. Several of the wrestlers jumped to a different company, and the promoter called on Starr to step in. Although he was far from prepared, Starr thinks the early start benefitted his career in the long run.

“I think this kind of fast-tracked me, and it also showed people that I had the natural ability to pick it up really fast,” he said.

Starr didn’t get any formal training until he had another 15 matches under his belt.

One of the people in the audience during Starr’s first match was WWE trainer Leo Burke, who would put Starr in touch with Bruce Hart and Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling promotion. Still a rookie, Wavell was soon getting film promos ready and performing at the heart of pro wrestling in Canada. At this point, Starr realized he wanted to reach for the top.

That top was the WWE, and Starr got his break when he attended open tryouts in Louisville, Kentucky. Out of the 50 people who attended, Starr was one of seven or eight who got a call back to attend WWE classes.

“It was a very competitive environment, but being around that was really an essential moment in my career, because I realized that I had what it takes,” said Starr.

Soon after Starr returned to Regina from training, his son Caige was born. It was at this time that he started getting booked for WWE shows, and was starring in televised WWE programs such as Sunday Night Heat and Velocity.

For a time, it seemed as if Starr’s dream of becoming a full-time wrestler with WWE was coming true.

“I had probably about four years, and during that time there were two major points where it really felt like I was actually going to get signed, but it just never came to fruition,” said Starr.

Starr was told that at the time, having an indigenous wrestler didn’t align with what the WWE had in mind for its programming. He thinks it may have been because he was rising in the ranks a little too soon after the run of another indigenous wrestler, Tatanka.

“I never quite got there, so I do have some regrets with that, but having said that, everything happens for a reason,” said Starr.

During his four years with the WWE, Starr was also earning a degree from the First Nations University of Canada in arts with a major in indigenous studies. Starr went on to have a career in recruitment and is now employed at a major corporation in Saskatchewan helping recruit aboriginal workers. It’s not the same as wrestling, but he notes that it also comes with much better health benefits and a pension.

Wrestling only part-time may also be part of the reason Starr has been able to stay in the business for 20 years, since it’s a profession that’s very hard on the body.

Being a villain, or what’s called a heel in wrestling, Starr was used to being booed and insulted by the crowd. It meant he was doing his job. Being aboriginal, though, also meant he had to deal with racist insults several times when touring.

“Next thing you know, you’re in a small town in Saskatchewan in the middle of the ring, the only aboriginal person in the place, and some of the things that are being said to you are really terrible,” said Starr.

“It’s a real eye opener, but at the same time the positive that came out of it is that I’m pretty solid when it comes to racism. I have a very thick skin.”

Starr still wasn’t afraid of tackling controversial issues such as race when speaking at matches. During the Stonechild inquiry in 2003, Starr was performing at a show in Saskatoon. He recalls referring to the inquiry, which was a sensitive topic at the time.

“My uncle told me after that I did a really good job because by mentioning it, he said it seemed to lighten the load,” said Starr.

Seeing an indigenous person in the spotlight of pro wrestling is a rarity, and Starr has become prominent a figure in Saskatchewan First Nations communities.

“It left people in awe,” said Don Speidel, who has known Starr for 25 years and lives at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

Starr is one of the first people Speidel can recall who branched into a career that was outside the norm for indigenous people. Even just seeing Starr’s body builder physique was a first for some in the aboriginal community. Simply put, he was cool. More importantly, however, was that Starr became an inspiration for others.

“You look at some of the obstacles, or even just the odds stacked against many of our young people trying to get through all these historical realities that our people have to identify with, and I think he certainly is a person that shows anything’s possible,” said Speidel. “He’s made an outstanding effort to show the world, and show our people, that we can persevere.”

Starr is aware of his affect on people, and has made it his mission to serve as a role model for indigenous youth by visiting reserves in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Unlike a regular wrestling performance, Starr takes the time to speak to youth about the importance of sports, cultural education and careers.

“I have their attention when I’m in the ring. I guess wrestling has that cool factor,” said Starr.

Wavell Starr, left, smiles at his son Caige at their home in Regina, Sask. on Monday Sept. 5, 2016. MICHAEL BELLMichael Bell /
Regina Leader-Post

During his university days, Starr competed heavily in powwow singing, winning a world championship in Albuquerque, N.M. While he wasn’t able to stay involved when his wrestling career took off, Starr has his 11-year-old son Caige to thank for reconnecting him with his roots.

When he isn’t travelling to wrestling shows, Starr is on the road driving his son to powwows to compete in singing competitions.

“He was the one that really stoked my fire to get back involved and reconnect with the circle, because he was showing me songs and I could hear him singing around the house, and I realized that, ‘Hey, this guy belongs at the drum and it’s up to me to get him there,’ ” said Starr.

Now that he’s middle-aged, Starr has transitioned into playing the role of the good guy in wrestling, which is ironically called the baby face. Being older than a lot of the other wrestlers, he could be seen as an underdog.

Wrestling careers don’t always last long because of how it taxes the body, but Starr wants to continue doing it for as long as he’s physically capable. The crowd may not be as big as his WWE days, but that doesn’t matter.

“It’s really something to say that you’re legit living your dream, and I still am. I mean, there’s no stadiums, no coliseums and not as many flights as there was at the time, but something with the business is my passion, and it’s my love and just being involved in it is still living my dream.”

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